The Merrell All Out Fuse Running Shoe Review

We’re giving away FIVE pairs of Merrell All out Fuse (or Rush, if you prefer)! Check out our give-away below for details.

The Good

Thomas: Pulling the All Out Fuse from of the box I couldn’t help but smile. It is a cool looking shoe. Without even running in the shoe you can tell that it is durable. The All Out Fuse’s outsole is completely covered by sticky rubber. In previous models of Merrell shoes the outsole was made by Vibram, while I saw one complaint that the rubber didn’t grip the same as the Vibram, I can’t notice a difference. The Fuse also has a nice toe bumper of the same rubber. The material used for the upper is a tight weave but feels breathable. I really liked the way Merrell approached the lacing, it is difficult to describe, basically the eyelets are a band that overlaps the tongue from side to side. This provides a very snug fit over the mid-foot and arch, and it feels very comfortable. Speaking of the arch, the All Out Fuse has ample arch support for my high arches. The All Out Fuse reminded me of the Bare Access 2 with more stack height and a little less flexibility. The toebox, like the Bare Access 2 is quite accommodating. I had no issues with rubbing or hot spots, but I usually used the Fuse on shorter runs (8 milers) so I don’t know if I would have found some on longer runs. I had no issues with picking up the pace in the Fuse, after my runs I was often surprised that the pace had crept up on me. The shoes deliver on the “natural” feel. I really liked the way the shoe connected through my gait. The highlight was something I don’t usually notice in a shoe. The way Merrell molded the heel of the All Out Fuse makes it strike very much like your own heel would. The heel is nice and rounded you wont feel any edges.

Meaghan: The Merrell All Out Fuse is a cool looking shoe. I was sent the orange/purple colorway, which I am totally digging. The mesh upper is fairly simple with a few synthetic and leather overlays. If you look at the shoe from the inside-out you can see a gill-like pattern, which makes the shoes nice and breathable. Despite what looks like a decent amount of rubber on the outsole, they feel light on my feet (and they are – 6.05 oz to be exact!). I spent most of my time on the pavement, but the extra grippy rubber outsole makes me believe they’d hold up just fine on the trails. They offer plenty of ground feel with enough cushioning to feel protected and confident running on several types of terrain. I’m a big fan of the lacing system, which gives you plenty of control over the fit. As with all Merrell shoes, I appreciate the large toe-box which accommodates my wide feet.

The Bad

Thomas: The Merrell All Out Fuse is not as flexible as the Bare Access 2, so it loses some of the “natural” feel people love in Merrells. Secondly, the Fuse is very firm, it does not provide a gentle run. This is obviously a Goldilocks issue, for some it may be perfect.

Meaghan: I like slipping on a shoe and knowing that I can run 20 miles in them right out of the box. I didn’t get that feeling when I first tried on the All Out Fuse. Merrell added some extra padding to the heel which felt uncomfortable. Maybe uncomfortable is not the right word… Unusual? While I assume the extra padding was intended for comfort, I find it unnecessary. That being said, it didn’t take long before I became accustomed to it.

Conclusion

Thomas: The Merrell All Out Fuse reminded me that I really do like the Merrell running shoes. If you liked the Bare Access 2 you will like the All Out Fuse. This is a firm shoe with 18mm stack in the heel and 12mm in the forefoot. My size 10.5 weighed in at 8.7 oz. I would recommend this shoe to a runner looking looking for an extremely durable shoe that can handle roads and packed trails.

Meaghan: The Merrell All Out Fuse is a super light, yet durable shoe. It’s considered a door-to-trail shoe which I’d consider a fair title. I would recommend these shoes for short to medium runs on the pavement or packed trails. If you enjoy the barefoot-style shoe that Merrell offers, such as the Road Run Glove Dash, you won’t be disappointed with this shoe.

Enter below for your chance to win a pair of Merrell All Out Fuse (or Rush)!

Comments

Curious on the heel fit. I think the Shoeftr must be off because it shows it a LOT smaller in the heal area than my other shoe brands. Then even when I run a merrell to merrell it shows a good bit tighter in that back area. Thanks